In the depths of the Abysm
by Misanagi
Summary: Heero Yuy has to go on a dangerous journey to find something he didn't know he was looking for.
1. Chapter One: The Witch and the Human

**In the depths of the Abysm**

**By Misanagi**

Rating: R

Parings: Future,1x4; and 5xS

Summary: Heero Yuy has to go on a dangerous journey to find something he didn't know he was looking for.

Warnings: Fantasy, violence, death, angst.

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters featured in this fic or Gundam Wing. However, the storyline is mine.

Archive: Gundanium Line

Notes: I'm sure there is a rule somewhere that says that every fanfiction writer must write at least one fantasy fic. Well, here is mine.

Big thanks to Anne for the beta. hugs

Dedication: This fic is for Hex, who one night on AIM asked me to write her a fic.

* * *

Chapter One: The Witch and the Human

It was known throughout the land that when one had an issue that needed to be resolved promptly and efficiently, one went to see Chang Wufei. He was the last descendent of the Dragon Clan and possessor of great powers and wisdom. The Dragon Clan had what was called a collective memory. Everything that a member of the Clan witnessed, learned or saw during their life became part of this memory. The appointed Guardian of the Clan could access it and experience the memories as if they were his own. That made the Dragon Clan the keepers of the world's secrets and Wufei, the last Guardian, one of the most powerful men alive, since knowledge is power.

However, Wufei was a very selective person and he didn't help everyone who came to his door. The creatures needed to prove that they were worthy of Wufei's help, and that the cause that they were pursuing was just. Otherwise, Wufei wouldn't just deny them his help, but also punish them for their greed. Wufei's time was precious and he couldn't waste it.

Efficiency was a very important quality to the Dragon Clan.

Before the Shattering of the World, the Dragon Clan had been very prominent, and had temples from the Crying River to the Purple Mountains. Most of them had been destroyed before the Shattering, when the ice covered the land and stole most of the world's magic. Wufei was the last survivor and the only heir to the Clan's power. What had been the responsibility of hundreds of men before the Shattering, was now only his.

It was a heavy burden to carry but at least Wufei had a companion who helped him alleviate the pressure and made his days bright. Her name was Sally Po. She was a powerful healer and a sorceress of the Dawn. Together, they ruled over the small land of Jixing, and welcomed the many visitors who, after a long journey, arrived at the last Dragon temple to seek Wufei's help.

The full moon was shining, and the sky was glowing with a green light, the day Heero Yuy arrived. He had traveled sixty days, coming all the way from the valleys of Tsuriai, seeking Wufei's advice. Heero was part of the Shiroi Tribe, a group of elf looking warriors that were known for upholding a balance in the world. Whenever there was a greater force of good or evil threatening to turn the balance, those warriors interfered. Unlike Wufei, they only lived a couple hundred years but only aged to a certain point, making their bodies young and strong during the course of most of their lives. When their cycle had been completed, they simply closed their eyes and died.

Wufei had never seen member of the Shiroi Tribe before. He had been able to watch them through the eyes of others, experiencing memories of his ancestors, but it was always different when he witnessed something himself.

Heero was tall and well built, like all the warriors were supposed to be. His eyes were blue and hard and his hair a dark brown. He wore black trousers and a white tunic. His feet were clasped in simple sandals, and thick leather bands covered his wrists. A long sword was dangling from his hip and a silver chain with a blue stone hung around his neck. His ears were pointed, and that was the reason people said the Shiroi Tribe could be elves. Wufei knew better: the Shiroi were a completely different type of creatures that only resembled elves. If there was a reason for this resemblance, Wufei didn't know it, and that was saying a lot because he knew practically everything. Heero wore three silver rings in each ear, two near the base and one near the point. It symbolized that he wasn't only a warrior, but one high up in the Shiroi hierarchy.

Whenever a Shiroi left their valley, it was for something important; possibly involving the forces of the universe concerning every creature in the world. Heero's expression reflected the seriousness of his mission.

Heero bowed slightly and regarded Wufei with his intense gaze. "I've come seeking the help of the Dragon Clan in the name of the Shiroi Tribe."

Wufei walked towards Heero, stood in front of him, and bowed too. "My name is Chang Wufei. I'm the Guardian of the Clan, and it is my honor to assist the Shiroi Tribe."

The main hall of the temple, the place where Wufei always listened to those asking for his help, was a very public place. It had no doors and anyone could walk in or witness what was happening inside. It was the perfect place for the first meeting but after Wufei had proclaimed someone worthy of his help, he would leave the main hall and retreat to a more private place: the shrine.

Heero followed Wufei to the shrine, and stood just in front of the well located in the middle of the small circular room. Except for the well, the room was empty. The walls were white marble, smooth and stoic.

Wufei closed the door behind them. "What is it that you want from me, Shiroi?"

"They call me Heero Yuy, and I was sent here to ask you a question." Heero kept his eyes on Wufei, something few dared to do. The gesture not only showed bravery but pride as well.

Wufei gave a small nod and waited for Heero to elaborate. It wasn't his place to ask the questions; his role was to answer them.

"My people come from the valley of Tsurai. For as long as the elders can remember, Tsurai has been our home and the Mikomi river has been our livelihood. To uphold our duties as keepers of the balance we need a great deal of magic, and the Mikomi river gives it to us. It's an ancient and magical river and we depend on it just as the world depends on us." Heero's eyes narrowed. "The river is running dry."

Wufei had been right. Heero Yuy was the bearer of news that affected the whole world and not just the Shiroi. It was imperative that he found the answers Heero was seeking, for there were great forces shifting in the world, and that could only mean that a grand change was on the way. Wufei took the silver goblet resting on the edge of the well and dipped it in the water. He slowly brought the cup to his lips and drank from the liquid. His eyes were closed and in a single moment he witnessed years that had long passed. The cup fell from his fingers and Wufei gasped. "And there is the endless motion of time, dancing in a circle for eternity."

* * *

In a primitive word, long ago forgotten by the current habitants of the lands, there was a group of special creatures called Humans. 

They were said to be capable of good and evil; weird creatures who hadn't chosen a side of the balance and were considered wild cards in the equilibrium of the universe. The other creatures regarded the Humans as nothing more than a tree or a beast, and sometimes less because even the trees possessed magic while the Humans didn't.

In a land sustained by magic, a group of people who didn't have a single drop of it were not really considered part of world. Humans were marginalized and left alone because they weren't deemed worthy.

However, it wasn't known by many that Humans possessed a very special trait: they had the potential to control and keep more magic than any other being could. They were like empty containers, capable of holding and handling great amounts of magic, but unable to posses it. In its infinite wisdom, the universe had taken the magic out of Humans because they were unpredictable, and if they had too much power in their hands, they would surely destroy the world. The universe never gives beings something they can't handle. Thus, the Humans were deprived of magic, and lived their lives with an empty feeling that could be decieved but never filled.

One of the beings who knew about the Humans' potential was a dark Witch who had been gathering power for many years, and had no other desire in her black heart than to have power over all the magic, and use it to cause chaos throughout the land. She had been quietly observing the Humans and wondering if they could be of any use to her. They had only two options: either they were with her or against her... and those against her wouldn't live very long.

The Witch spent many days observing the Humans, watching them silently with her cold and calculating eyes, and after having seen all she thought could be seen, she decided that she didn't comprehend them at all. The Humans were an irrational group in her eyes. Their actions and words didn't seem to have a universal motivation; they acted on impulse and pondered things that bared no importance. They were selfish and giving, fierce and cowardly, rash and careful. They were impossible to understand.

After concluding that the Humans' actions couldn't be predicted, the Witch decided that she needed to capture one, in order to question him, and after that, she would know if the Humans were an advantage or a risk.

She didn't put on too much thought into which Human she took. They were all the same to her, and like dissecting a frog, learning how one behaved should be enough to predict the others.

The Human she picked was a boy from the village, who had wandered into the woods to hunt. Like a siren, the Witch had attracted the Human, taking him to her lair and clasping him in chains before waking him from the spell.

The boy struggled; pulling his chains in a futile effort to break free, managing only to break his own skin. The Witch had observed, amused. It wasn't until the Human had given up and fallen against the wall, too tired to struggle, that the Witch had made herself visible.

She played with him, both physically and mentally, for she liked to be entertained. What she hadn't expected was the Human to be such a wonderful adversary. Even with the great disadvantage of his lack of magic and freedom, he battled brilliantly and even managed to bring a smile to the Witch's face. She had kept him captive longer that she had first intended. The more time passed, the more she was enchanted by him. The Human had proved to be a more interesting subject than she had first thought.

Trying to understand the complex layers that created the Human's intellect was an activity so challenging that it even made her forget her dark plans for a while. Until one day, the Human managed to get free from his chains, and having heard the Witch's plans, he grabbed his bow and aimed an arrow at the Witch's head. However he had forgotten that the Witch was very powerful and that she was protected by her dark magic. His arrow had only managed to anger the Witch and open her eyes to the threat Humans represented.

An action like that couldn't go unpunished because, even if the arrow hadn't wounded her physically, it had wounded her pride. She threw the Human to the ground and shredded his tunic, exposing his back. Then, she conjured the fires from inside her soul and branded the Human's skin with an intricate design that took her hours to perfect. The Human resisted at first, gritting his teeth and refusing to make a sound, but at the end, the pain had been too great to withstand in silence, and he screamed.

The night had fallen by the time the Witch had burned the last line in the Human's back. She cast him out of her lair, throwing his half naked form into the middle of the cold forest, knowing that he would have to walk for a day before he could reach his village.

During his walk, the Human was plagued by cold, hunger and thirst, but his pace never slowed. He knew of the Witch's plans and he felt the need to reach his home and warn his people about the danger they were facing.

However, the Witch was very cruel and the Human's betrayal had made her blind to everything but her urge for vengeance. Revenge was the only thing she could think of and she was going to make the Human pay; he and all his kind. She watched the Human, and waited for him to be close to his village before she conjured the storm. For the Witch was angry and bitter and wanted to make the Human's soul suffer in the same way that his body had.

By the time the Human reached the hill that overlooked his village, rain was already pouring from the sky. Strong winds were blowing the roofs off the houses and the lighting illuminated the chaos below. The Human ran down the hill, watching a bolt of lightning fall on top of a house, starting a fire.

That was just the first of many fires that erupted that night. The water was still falling steadily from the sky but with every drop the fires glowed with more power. Floating above the sky, the Witch laughed. Her long locks were flowing with the wind as she looked at the lonely figure of her Human running to his own death.

The village was a picture of despair. Humans worked unsuccessfully to stop the fires and to help those who were trapped. Some cowardly ones tried to run away, but the Witch was determined to exterminate every one of them, so she placed an invisible barrier around the village, preventing them from leaving.

When her Human reached the barrier, the Witch lifted it allowing him to enter. As entertaining as letting him watch from the outside would be, the Witch wanted him to burn with his kind, and to die with the knowledge that he couldn't save them.

She had to admit that the Humans had an unusually strong will to live. One would think that there was something that scared them about dying. They fought until their last breath, even if death was every creature's destiny. Her Human was no exception. The Witch could see him trying to get people away from the fire; ignoring his own needs to save the extinguishing lives of others.

The Witch felt nothing but anger towards her Human. It wasn't only the betrayal but the fact that a creature who had exhibited such promise was letting his feelings rule his actions, instead of his mind. She needed to teach him a lesson, to show him that kindness would get him nowhere.

Smiling coldly, the Witch found the perfect target. A young Human girl was standing beside a tree, shivering from the cold and crying quietly. Conjuring the powers of the sky, the Witch formed a magical bolt lightning in the sky, above the girl's head. She waited patiently for her Human to notice it, and when she was sure he did, she released her magic, letting the bolt fall freely to the ground.

Her Human was already running towards the girl, screaming something that the Witch couldn't hear over the strong winds. It couldn't have lasted more than a second, not enough time to think, just to react. Her Human threw himself towards the girl, pushing her out of the way. The lightning landed on his bare back, making him shake before falling to the ground. He lay on his back with his eyes half open, staring into the sky.

With her Human dead, the Witch got quickly bored. She burned the few Humans that were still alive and after breaking the barrier around the village, she left. That night, the creatures known as Humans ceased to exist.

:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:

Many silent days had passed. The smoke dissipated from the destroyed village, and the last fires were extinguished by the soft rain that followed the Witch's storm. No creature had approached the place, and most of the land was ignorant of the fate the Humans had suffered. The Witch hadn't wanted the land to know of her plans so the Humans, her first victims, had died quietly, and no one had missed them.

However, things aren't always the way they look. In the field, a figure covered with ashes shivered as cool air entered his body. The Human gagged and coughed violently before he could breathe the tainted air. The odor was everywhere; the Human knew that he was surrounded by death. He blinked a couple of times and hissed at the sting on his eyes. Little by little he was able to focus and to distinguish that he was looking at the sky.

Filled with fear, the Human forced himself to a sitting position and took a look around what used to be his village. There was nothing there but ashes and the burned corpses of its inhabitants. Slamming his fist into the ground, the Human cried to the heavens, asking for justice.

Numbly, the Human stood up and ignored the pain shooting from his back. He found a stick of wood and started the exhausting task of digging graves. Most of the Humans had been incinerated but there were still dozens of corpses needing to be buried; and the last survivor of the Humans was going to make sure that they were.

It took the Human more than two days to dig enough graves and another two to seal them. The last grave belonged to the little girl he had tried to save. The Human placed some flowers on top of it and asked the girl for forgiveness.

He hadn't eaten or slept during those days. He was driven by a force beyond anything he knew; a will that seemed to provide him with all the energy he needed. The Human knew he had changed, and he wasn't even sure he could be called a Human anymore. There was something inside him he didn't have before, something that despite his great loss, made him feel whole.

What the Human didn't know was that the universe acts in strange ways, and often with a sense of irony. For the Human was no longer an empty container: magic now filled his veins. When the Witch had branded him, she had left a trail of her magic on his skin. Magic that had not only saved the Human from dying, but also given him the ability to absorb the magic of the bolt. Now, the Human had been converted into the very thing the Witch was afraid of: a worthy adversary.

The Human decided to leave the village for there was nothing there for him, and he found a new home in a cave, hidden in the vast Hiberih desert. He soon discovered that he had magical abilities; he could control the fire and also conjure lightning. Whenever he was using magic, the fire tattoo the Witch had carved on his back would glow with a red hue. Slowly, the Human trained himself in the art of magic and learned to control his powers. And when he was sure he was strong enough, he went looking for the Witch.

Months had passed since the Human had moved to the desert and when he finally went out into the world, he discovered that things had changed for the worse, and it was the Witch's doing.

The world was covered by a magical ice created by the Witch. It was draining the world from its magic and the Witch was stealing it, keeping all the magic inside herself. She had become even more powerful than before and any being who tried to stop her, had been destroyed. The world, however, was a very delicate place and its survival depended on the magic, which was the very thing that kept the world alive. By stealing the magic from the world, the Witch was slowly killing it.

The Human knew immediately what he had to do. He had to fight the Witch so that the world would be saved.

Tracking her wasn't difficult. She was so powerful that she left a trail that was easily followed. Her lair was now in a different place. She had left the forest for the peak of the Lismonia mountain, where she could observe most of the land, and rule over it.

It took the Human weeks to climb the mountain and reach the Witch's lair, and when he finally arrived, she was waiting for him.

She talked to him; hiding her surprise behind one of the games they had learned to enjoy when the Human was held captive. The Human played but he wasn't fooled. He was too clever and he could see right through the Witch's masks. She grew frustrated because her deceiving tactics weren't working. The Human had changed and there was something about him that frightened her. The time for games was quickly over and the Witch attacked. A ball of fire was thrown at the Human, who, being taken by surprise, wasn't able to defend against it.

The Human fell off the mountain, landing in the valley below. The fire could no longer burn him, for he had learned to control it, but the force of the impact of his fall had been enough to put him at a disadvantage. However, he ignored the pain and stood, waiting for the Witch to descend from the mountain.

This time, he would be prepared.

A fierce battle between good and evil took place that day; the Witch driven by anger and greed of power, and the Human driven by will to save those who could be saved and avenge those who could not.

The Witch had control over many more elements than the Human. She could control the weather and the fire; she could fly and use pure magic against him. However, one of the Human's powers was to absorb every bit of pure magic thrown his way, so instead of hurting him, the Witch made him more powerful. She noticed it quickly and realized that even though the human was resistant to many of her magic attacks, his body was still frail. It might have been stronger than it had been before but could never be as strong as hers.

The Human was fighting to the best of his abilities but he had many disadvantages; one of them being that he was unable to fly, and that gave the Witch the best strategic position. The fire he could control didn't hurt the Witch more than it hurt him so he decided to only use the lightning bolts to attack her. The Human was hit many times and each blow he took weakened him. However, his fierce determination wouldn't let him stop, and as the battle progressed he became more dangerous.

He ignored the physical wounds and the pain. The Human had only one thing in mind, and that was to defeat the Witch. Finally, after what seemed forever, he was able to weaken the Witch enough so she could no longer float on the air. She fell to the ground at the Human's feet and found herself facing a lightning bolt that had been frozen in mid air. The human only needed to release it, and the Witch would be killed.

But in that final moment, the Human found that all the resentment he had felt for the Witch was gone, and in its place, there was only pity. Darkness was the only thing in her soul and she had never seen the light. He decided to spare her life, for the suffering she had endured was enough punishment in his eyes. The human declared his victory and the Witch remained silent because she knew she had been defeated.

However, the Witch was a bitter soul and as soon as the lightning bolt dissipated, she flew to the sky and, with a last cry of battle, she gathered all the energy she had stolen from the world, and cast it upon the land.

The world trembled under the force of the blow and the earth shattered because the magic was too much for the world to handle at once. The Lismonia mountain parted in two and an abysm was formed in the valley. The magic pooled inside the abysm and started to break the world in two. As soon as the magic was through, the world would die.

The Witch laughed maniacally when she saw the world being destroyed. What she didn't notice was the lightning that the Human had shot her way had pierced her black heart. She gasped and then her body exploded in a million pieces that glowed and dispersed into the sky.

Having destroyed the Witch, the Human jumped into the abysm, hoping to absorb the magic that threatened to kill the world. The magic filled the Human, filled him so much that he had to choose between controlling the magic or losing himself. The Human chose to save the world. He kept the magic inside him and buried himself in the deepest part of the abysm, where the world could slowly drain the magic out of him, until it was healed.

Many ages have passed since that day and the world has forgotten most of what happened. Every creature knows of the ice that covered the land stealing its magic, and that the Shattering of the World had taken place soon after that. However, not many remember what happened on that fateful day, when the last Human had sacrificed himself to save a world that hadn't considered him a part of it.

* * *

Heero swallowed hard when Wufei reached the end of his tale. The implications of what had been said weren't lost to him. "I've never heard of Humans before," he said. "They sound the opposite to my tribe." The Shiroi were incapable of good or evil. Their place was to keep a balance and for that they had to be a neutral force. The Humans, on the other hand, had been good and evil at the same time. They had the two forces of the universe inside them, and had been able to choose which to follow. The rest of the beings of the land had a natural inclination to one of the forces and that was what kept the balance. "The Mikomi river was born after the Shattering," Heero stated. "And it is a magical river." 

Wufei nodded. "I see you understand," he replied in a solemn voice. "If you want to understand what's happening, you will have to go to the Abysm. If there are any answers, they'll be waiting there."

"How do I get there?" Heero asked. If the Guardian of the Dragon Clan said that he should go to the barren lands of the Lismonia valley, then he would do it without a question. Something was happening in the world and Chang Wufei was the only one who knew about it. The knowledge of the Dragon Clan was great and the perceptiveness of its members was legendary. The elders of the Shiroi Tribe had spoken highly of the clan, and Heero was ready to trust Wufei, no matter how dangerous his advice appeared to be.

"Walk to the north when you leave this temple and go to the outskirts of town. There you shall see a large tent. The man who lives there is a nomad. You need to ask for his help and he will take you to the Lismonia valley."

"Are you certain that he will help?" asked Heero.

Wufei smirked. "Oh I am. Duo Maxwell has been planning to visit the Lismonia area for years, and you just provided him with an excuse, and copilot."

Heero raised an eyebrow. "What's a copilot?"

Wufei grinned mysteriously. "You'll see."

Heero decided not to question Wufei any further. He bowed to the Guardian, left the temple, and walked north, continuing his journey.

* * *

TBC 


	2. Chapter Two: The flying nomad and the f

**In the depths of the Abysm**

**By Misanagi**

Rating: R / M

Parings: Future,1x4; 5xS

Summary: Heero Yuy has to go on a dangerous journey to find something he didn't know he was looking for.

Warnings: Fantasy, violence, death, angst.

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters featured in this fic or Gundam Wing. However, the storyline is mine.

Archive: Gundanium Line

Notes: I'm sure there is a rule somewhere that says that every fanfiction writer must write at least one fantasy fic. Well, here is mine.

Big thanks to Anne for the beta. hugs

Dedication: This fic is for Hex, who one night on AIM asked me to write her a fic.

* * *

Chapter Two: The flying nomad and the floating seer

The Shiroi were very special creatures. They had great physical strength that was hidden in their slim bodies, a cunning intellect, and a powerful sense of balance. Balance, was after all, the thing the Shiroi tried to preserve and held dear above everything else. That's why they didn't have conflicting emotions, which allowed them to keep their cool and control in the most difficult situations.

Heero knew that this mission was probably the biggest one any Shiroi had had to take, and while that made him a bit apprehensive, it also made him focus on what he had to do even more. Right now, the first step was reaching the outskirts of town and finding this Duo Maxwell who would provide transportation to the Lismonia valley.

It wasn't a difficult task to accomplish. The brown tent was big enough to be seen from a long distance and if anyone should miss it, the loud singing voice coming from inside was enough to guide any traveler right into the nomad's residence.

Not bothering to call from the outside, Heero just lifted the leather door and walked into the tent. Inside a man was singing an unknown tune while he worked on some sort of weird devices that were scattered around him. He was wearing a loose white shirt, leather pants and he was barefoot.

"Duo Maxwell." Heero said.

The man turned around quickly. The long braid flipped as its owner faced the newcomer. "The one and only," answered the nomad in a cheery voice. He placed the pieces of metal he had in his hands on the floor and stood up. "And who might you be?"

"My name is Heero Yuy, from the Shiroi Tribe. I require your assistance."

Duo's eyes widened at the mention of the Shiroi gave Heero a wicked smile. "A Shiroi? Asking for the help of a poor nomad?" He chuckled. "I thought you were above any other beings. Surely someone of /your/ kind can find a way do things alone."

Heero glared at the nomad. He had no time to fight about petty clan differences. The nomad would just have to cooperate. "The Guardian of the Dragon clan said that you could take me to the Lismonia valley."

The smile was gone from the nomad's face in a flash and his expression turned inquiring and serious. "The Lismonia valley is not a nice place. Many of my kind have tried to go there, few have returned. They say the place is cursed."

"I've heard the legends myself."

Duo raised an eyebrow. "And you still want to go?"

Heero nodded. Duo studied him for a moment, his arms crossed above his chest as he looked at Heero from head to toe. "How important is this?"

"Very. I wouldn't be here if it wasn't."

Duo gave him one last look before turning around and walking to another door. "Very well, follow me."

Stepping over the junk on the floor, Heero followed Duo to the back of the tent where another door led them outside. Heero only noticed it when he was outside but the tent was so big that he wasn't able to see the road at the other side. Likewise, when he had been on the road he hadn't been able to see the bizarre and very large artifact hidden behind the  
tent.

"So, when do you want to leave?" Duo was facing Heero.

"Are we leaving in /that?" Heero asked, giving the vessel looking machine behind Duo a wary look.

Duo turned around, glanced at it and nodded. "My ship. It's my masterpiece. I built it specifically to travel to Lismonia. I've just been waiting for the right moment." He smirked, and there was something about the gesture that made Heero nervous. "It seems like that  
time has come."

Heero walked closer to the ship. It was big, about ten meters tall and twenty-five long. It was built with Meorian wood, extremely light but strong. There were no wheels underneath it, or at least Heero couldn't see them. Since the Lismonia valley was a dead land, a desert  
really, with nothing more than rocks and dirt, Heero couldn't see how a ship would be useful to go to a place with no seas or rivers.

"It's not a sea ship," said Duo, almost as if he was reading Heero's thoughts. "It's an air ship."

Taking a step back from the ship, Heero stared at it as if it was cursed. "Inanimate things can't fly."

"Yes they can," replied Duo, "if you know how to make them." He walked to the side of the ship where a small rope ladder was hanging from the top. After climbing the first two steps he stopped and looked back at Heero. "Coming?" Duo didn't wait for a reply, and Heero followed silently.

The inside of the ship wasn't like anything Heero had seen before. There were wooden benches built into the low walls and two staircases leading down, probably to the sleeping compartments. In the front of the ship, a large steering wheel was built before a comfortable looking chair. Beside it was another chair with a smaller wheel. There were some other devices there that Heero didn't recognize.

Nomads were known for being extravagant but Heero didn't think that there was another nomad who had ever constructed something like this. However, the most impressive thing was the tall mast standing in the middle of the ship. There were some cloths on top of it. At first Heero had thought they were sails but after a more detailed inspection he had noticed they were circular and arranged in a weird pattern that didn't resemble the sails he had seen in the past.

"And how is this thing supposed to fly?"

Duo grinned and walked to the front of the ship. "With magic and a kickass pilot."

Heero didn't have the time to ask what a pilot was before Duo threw some powder inside one of the devices near the wheel and the circular cloths on the mast started to grow. Soon the cloths had grown so big that they looked like with ball-shaped clouds floating just above the  
ship.

"It's altezze powder," explained Duo. "When burnt it produces a gas that elevates to the sky. The cloths are filled with it, and as soon as I cut the ropes that tie us to the ground, we'll be able to go."

Heero nodded. "Then let's go."

* * *

Flying was such a unique experience. Heero had done many things in his lifetime but flying was definitely something he had stayed away from. As a Shiroi, he was very in tune with the order of the universe. Each being had a purpose, qualities and limitations, and what the nomad was doing was breaking the boundaries.

Heero leaned on the banister and looked at the ground below. They were getting closer. The tall peaks and rough mountains were proof of that. While the Lismonia valley was a bare land divided only by the Abysm, it was surrounded by the tall Pyrgos peeks. Climbing the peeks could take a very long time; that was if one managed to survive the wind, cold and lack of food. As the nomad had said, many had tried to brave the unbeatable mountains. Most of them had died.

"Heero, stop staring at the mountains and come here and help. That is, unless you want us to crash or something."

Giving one last glance to the landscape, Heero approached the front of the ship where Duo was sitting on one of the chairs.

"If I could handle the ship alone safely, I would have come to the valley a long time ago." Duo's eyes were cast up front, his left hand was holding the steering wheel, and the right one was busy handling the different levers at his side. "Make yourself useful, would you? Slowly lift up the highest lever at your right. "

Heero sat in the empty chair, located the lever and lifted it slowly.

"It's not gonna break. You can pull a little harder." Duo pressed his lips together and swallowed a laugh. "Yep, that's it. Congratulations, Heero, you just stopped us from crashing into that mountain. You make a fine co-pilot."

There was that word again. Duo had defined it as the person who prevents crashing. Heero now understood a bit more about it. Certainly, whatever Heero had done had elevated the ship a little, and that, combined with Duo's handling of the wheel had helped them avoid a peak.

"This ship is the safest and quickest way to get to the valley. However, that doesn't mean that there won't be dangers involved," said Duo, smiling.

"You look excited," said Heero, watching Duo from the corner of his eye.

The nomad grinned. "I am. You don't know much about nomads, do you?"

Heero frowned slightly. He had enough information about every creature in existence. It was vital for his tribe to know the nature of all beings; it was the only way balance could be kept. "Nomads have no specific active magic potential. The magic they have is used to feed their minds. Therefore, they are highly inventive and clever beings. However, a side effect of this active mind is that they become restless and unable to settle, hence their name. "

Duo blinked and after a moment of staring at Heero, laughed. "You memorized that or something?" His hands were kept at the wheel and his eyes scanning the sky. "My kind, we have a thrill for adventure. For us, staying in the same place for too long is what other beings feel when they are put in a small room. We need to move, we need to get around and see things." He grinned. "We might be bums but we're happy bums."

Heero didn't reply. He didn't pretend to understand what the nomad was telling him. He had seen many beings of many kinds, all driven by different things, all with different priorities but at the end, for the Shiroi, they were just elements of balance, nothing more.

"So, are you going to tell me why is a Shiroi traveling with a crazy nomad to the most dangerous land there is?" The tone was playful but Heero could tell Duo was serious. "Last time I checked, you guys were the keepers of balance. Is balance being threatened by something in Lismonia?"

At first, Heero ignored him, refusing to give the nomad any explanation. He didn't think it was vital for Duo to know anything more than he already did so there was no need to disclose information. However, he soon learned another trait of the nomads: they were very persistent. Eventually, the nomad's stubbornness won over Heero's reluctance.

"So," said Duo, when Heero finished explaining the situation, "you are on a mission to save the world." He paused a moment. "A mission that could get us all killed, especially you and me since we are the dumb fools venturing into the heart of danger." This time Duo looked at Heero. "All of this based on a dispute that happened so long ago that no one even remembers, even though it was the cause of the Shattering?"

Heero nodded.

Duo smiled a dangerous mischievous smile. "Sounds like fun!"

* * *

Landing on the Lismonia valley was by far the must difficult thing Heero had ever done. They couldn't land in the plain. It was dangerous to be seen, so they decided to land on the hills surrounding the plain. The hills weren't as tall as the peaks but they had sharp edges and finding a place large enough to land Duo's ship was almost impossible. What they managed to find was a little clearing between two peaks that was barely big enough to fit the ship, but would hide it completely.

Heero had to accept that the nomad was very skilled. Several times Heero thought they were going to crash but Duo seemed to be very sure about what he was doing, giving orders to Heero and working on his own set of levers and wheel. When Heero exited the ship he noticed that if they had been even a little closer to the right or to the left, the large fabric on top of the ship would have shattered and the ship would have been ruined.

Since there wasn't really any other place to stay, Heero and Duo decided to spend the night in the ship and wait until morning to start the dangerous decent into the Abysm. Duo got some fruits and bread for them to eat and a bottle of wine.

"This drink fogs the mind," stated Heero, looking at the bottle. "It makes creatures lose balance."

"That's the fun thing about it," said Duo, taking the bottle from Heero and drinking a mouthful. "You, Shiroi, are too righteous for your own good. You should learn to have fun once in a while." He handed the bottle back to Heero, managing to spill a few drops in the process.

Heero just ignored him. Fun wasn't something he was born for. He was a Shiroi, and for them duty came before anything. He lived only to keep the balance, and before this trip he hadn't even contemplated that there were other ways of living. The nomad was a walking statement of all the possibilities. He was moved by impulses and lived his life that way. As far as Heero could tell, the only thing stable in the nomad's life was uncertainty.

"Fine, be boring," said Duo, bringing the bottle back to his lips. "If we might die tomorrow, I plan to spend tonight smiling." He changed his position so he had a better look at the sky. "The only thing I need now is a pretty lady and a good cigar," he looked at Heero. "Do you have a special lady back there in your Shiroi world? Are you even allowed to have one?"

"My function is to destroy any threat to the balance. There are others to farm, teach the young and care for the village. Those are the ones who should continue the Shiroi linage. The fighters have no time for a family." Heero had heard that many times. It had been taught to him since he was very young. In the world, every creature had a place to fulfill. Just like that, in the Shiroi Tribe everyone had a role, and for things to work, they had to be what they were born to be.

Duo opened his mouth and stared at him in wonder. "Are you telling me that you are not allowed to have someone, love someone, or just be with them?"

The idea had never even crossed Heero's mind before. He wasn't forbidden to love, he just didn't have the option. A lion wasn't forbidden to fly. It just wasn't in his nature to do that.

But yet, Heero had flown, and the nomad flew all the time.

The sound of footsteps distracted them both from the conversation. There was someone inside the ship, and he or she was walking towards them. Heero instantly stood, taking his sword on his hand and assuming a defensive position. Beside him, Duo had also stood. He had a knife on each hand and he was looking at the spot the steps were coming from, waiting for the threat to reveal itself.

A thin figure started to appear from the shadows. It was a man; he had a curved blade in his hand and he was walking towards them without any hesitation. He was dressed in beige robs and a deep red belt. His face was mostly concealed by a cloth. A desert man.

Before any word could be spoken more sounds filled the air. There were more intruders climbing into the ship. "If you want to live, don't move." The voice of the man was firm. It commanded obedience, and Heero knew it was not an idle threat.

Soon the ship was filled with twenty men, all dressed as the first, and each with a curved blade in their hand. One of them stepped forward. He was very tall and muscular. Heero immediately recognized him as the leader.

"We are the Maguanacs, the guardians of the Lismonia valley. If you want to live, you'll raise this ship and go back to where you came from. This is a sacred land, not everyone is worthy of being here."

Heero stepped ahead, his head raised and his hands down but at a far away distance from his body so his posture wouldn't be seen as aggressive. "My name is Heero Yuy and I'm a member of the Shiroi Tribe." He looked at the leader straight in the eyes. "I don't know if I'm worthy, but I have a mission to fulfill and the fate of the world depends on it."

The man gave him a look. He was evaluating Heero, deciding if he believed him or not. Finally his eyes focused on the blue gem Heero wore on his neck. The man sheathed his sword. "My name is Rashid, and we'll assist you anyway we can."

* * *

Heero and Duo spent the night on the ship, with a couple of Maguanacs to keep them company. When there was enough light, the Maguanacs took them down to the plain, to the very edge of the Abysm.

"Let me see if I got this," asked Duo, looking warily at the dark Abysm below them. "We are supposed to go down there. Down into the place where the land first shattered, a place that it's believed to be cursed, and where no one has gone in a thousand new moons?"

Heero was about to tell the nomad that his part of the journey was over and that he didn't have to go into the Abysm, but another voice spoke before he could.

"I have."

The thin figure that had first sneaked into the ship was a man named Trowa Barton; the youngest Maguanac in the group who had been assigned to guard Heero and Duo. Trowa was the one who had spoken, with the same confident voice he had used before.

"You've been into the Abysm?" asked Heero, watching Trowa's body language for any sign that he was lying. As far as Heero knew, the Abysm was a sacred place, and the only reason why Heero was determined to go in there was because the balance was threatened. It was said that the Abysm was filled with so much magic that it could overwhelm anyone who dared step inside. That was the curse Duo had been talking about.

Trowa walked to the edge and leaned over, looking down. There was no sign of fear in him, and Heero understood that it was something Trowa did often. "I've seen him too." Trowa turned to look at Heero. "The one you are searching for. I can take you to him."

Wufei had said that the answers awaited in the Abysm but he had never told Heero exactly what to look for. "What makes you think I'm looking for someone?"

"He's very powerful," replied Trowa. "I can see it." He extended his hand to Heero. "And I think he's been waiting for you."

Heero looked at the hand and then back at Trowa's eyes. He didn't move and just waited for Trowa to explain his gesture.

"And how exactly are we supposed to get down there?" Duo walked between them and glanced at the darkness bellow. "I don't think we can climb down there or back up here." He turned to Trowa. "You say you were there? Well, how did you manage it?"

Trowa smirked at Duo and then simply stepped off the edge. Instead of falling, he was still standing there, in mid air.

"Levitation," Heero said simply.

"Wow." Duo's eyes opened wider. He took a couple of steps towards Trowa, never taking his eyes away from him. "Can all Maguanacs do that?"

"No," Trowa said, walking back into the valley, "I have special skills."

Duo voiced the question in Heero's mind. "What else can you do?"

"I can see magic." Trowa shrugged. "That's how I found him. His light was so blinding that I couldn't ignore it."

"Just who is this he you keep talking about?" Duo seemed to have lost his patience.

"He's the reason you are here." Trowa extended his hand to Heero again and the other to Duo. "I can lower you both."

Heero thought about it for a moment. With Trowa's help they could reach the depths of the Abysm faster than anticipated. The sooner Heero got there the sooner he could help restore balance. Taking a step towards Trowa, Heero took the Maguanac's hand. Duo did the same.

"Trust me," said Trowa before walking towards the edge, "and don't let go."

It was a great act of faith to take that last step off the edge. Heero couldn't help but be relieved when he felt firm ground under his feet, even though he was standing on thin air. The descent was quick; it was as if the invisible ground they were standing on began to swiftly go lower and lower until Heero was standing on real ground again.

"I hate to break it to you," Duo's voice sounded from somewhere, "but we forgot to bring a light."

It wasn't until then that Heero realized that he had closed his eyes, behavior that wasn't very fitting for a Shiroi. He opened them but still couldn't see. Heero silently reprimanded himself for not thinking of bringing a torch; now they would have to go back up to find one.

"No need to worry," Trowa said, letting go of Heero's hand. "I keep torches here."

Moments later the orange glow of fire illuminated the place. The Abysm looked much like a cave. The surface was so far up that it couldn't be seen, and they needed to rely on the light of the torch to see anything.

"This way," said Trowa and started walking deeper into the Abysm.

Heero followed, with Duo closely behind. The floor was covered with pebbles. He watched his step, it would be easy to trip.

"So, how many times have you been down here?" asked Duo. He had already caught up with Heero and they were both walking a couple of steps behind Trowa.

"Since I was very young." Trowa never looked back but he slowed down a bit. "When I discovered I could levitate, the first thing I did was come down here."

Duo was touching the walls, letting his fingers trail on the stone as he walked. "Are you allowed to? Isn't it a big transgression or something?"

The flame of the torch illuminated Trowa just enough for Heero to see the small frown. "I kept it secret at first." Trowa's voice was softer, barely above a whisper. "When it was discovered, Rashid told me that I wouldn't have been given this gift if I wasn't meant to use it. Magic always knows."

It had been very fortunate to meet with Trowa. Otherwise getting down into the Abysm would have been a lot more difficult if not impossible. Heero couldn't sense any imbalance but he knew that there were powers moving, driving them to find something. Wufei had said that the answer was in the Abysm, but that was no guarantee that the balance would be kept. The future of the world depended on the balance and on Heero's quest. But what would happen if his quest leaned the balance towards one side. What would be of the world then?

"Did you think to bring a light the first time you came down here?" Duo's voice interrupted Heero's thoughts.

Trowa shook his head. "I don't need it."

Heero looked ahead beyond Trowa and the quivering light of the torch. He couldn't distinguish anything, just an endless darkness that seemed to go on forever. "It is impossible to see down here."

"For you maybe." Trowa shrugged. "That first time I followed his light. He glows, and it was his brightness what led me to him."

Duo sighed, sounding annoyed. "Are we going to meet this mysterious person soon?"

Trowa stopped and brought the torch forward. "He's right in front of you."

Heero gasped. Before him, inlaid on the rough stone wall, was a large clear crystal, and inside it was the figure of boy.

Taking hesitant steps, Heero walked closer, until he was just in front of the crystal. The boy's eyes were closed; he appeared to be in a deep slumber. His hair was golden and his skin pale. The clothes he was wearing were torn and old. Whoever he was, he had been there for a long time.

Remembering the story Wufei had told him, Heero moved to the side, trying to get a glimpse of the boy's back. Only a few black lines were visible, tattooed on the boy's back, their darkness contrasting with the pale skin.

"What is he?" asked Duo.

Heero took a deep breath. "He is the Human."

* * *

TBC 


End file.
